The $600 1975 K5 Blazer. Had a 327 in it, TH350/NP203 fulltime t-case, 12-bolt rear and Dana 44 front with 3.07 gears. 3" body lift and 2" blocks under the rear and the front springs. I swapped out the front blocks for springs.

The 327 was bad so the old 350 out of the Camo Blazer went into this. Ran it a while, started acting up, so I pulled it and gave it a budget makeover.

Went to a 4" suspension lift with the 3" body lift retained, dual exhaust with headers, 3/4 ton axles (14-bolt and Dana 44 front with 4.10 gears), SM465 4spd manual with an NP205 T-case, and Warn 8274 winch on a Warn classic winch bumper. I opted to paint it Orange and Black using Wal-Mart 92 cent per can orange and black rattlecan spray paint. All the parts I swapped into it were used parts I had from parts rigs (except the paint). I bought the 35" BFG Mud Terrains on aluminum rims for $300, and used good interior pieces from a free K5. I traded some other axles for a running SB400.

The before and after

and during

The SB400 blew head gaskets right after I started it for the first time, so out it came and I did some trading for a running 350.

As soon as I put the 350 in, it had a noticable noise, which turned out to be bearings, so out it came, and I swapped in a 350 from a parts truck I traded for. It was a smoker but kept running as long as I changed plugs.

It finally didn't want to run anymore, so I swapped in a 454 I kept out of another Blazer. It was a .040 over 454 with 781 heads, flattop pistons, Erson cam, Weiand intake and Holley carb. I also swapped on a $300 set of 35" Swampers I got at the Portland Swap Meet, and a 14-bolt rear with Detroit locker. I also splurged and spent $300 to have a full 3" Flowmaster dual exhaust system put on it.

That 454 started smoking a few months after I put it in, but I still won a 3rd place trophy with it. 2 cam lobes were going flat, valve guides were gone, and rings were toast, and bearings were going too.

I pulled a 454 out of a '72 K5 and swapped a 350 back into the '72, and kept the 454. It was a .030 over 454, 049 casting heads, flattop pistons, Comp 268 cam, .485 valve lift, with Edelbrock intake and Carb and had low miles on a rebuild. Also swapped in a better 465 and 205. I made it to one mud race with it, where it wasn't running right despite swapping another carb on it the night before. Found out later my carb linkage was only pulling barely over half throttle, and the internals of the HEI distributor were all worn out. I changed distributor and re-did the carb linkage and it finally opened up and ran like it should.
VIDEO: Doughnuts at the ORV park

I also added a Dana 60 front with 4.10s.

Play Day in my mud pits, Ione

By June of 2005, less than a year after I had put the latest 454 in, and the weekend before a mud race, this 454 started smoking bad and burning oil like the last 454 had done one year before. I didn't even make it to the race this time though.

I pulled out the motor (rings and valve guides were shot) and sold the motor as a core but kept the cam and lifters. I took out the 465/205 and traded them off. Right now it sits with a new plan for it. It will get a small block (327 or 350) with a TH350 automatic and NP205. The Dana 60 front is going under my '73 international, and I'm putting a lighter weight Dana 44 under it that I got in a trade, with 4.56 gears and a Detroit locker. In the rear I'll be swapping the 4.10 14-bolt with detroit to my Blue Blazer, and taking the 4.56 14-bolt with 4.56's and detroit from the GMC and putting it under the Orange K5, as well as using a shackle flip to eliminate the rear blocks. I'll also remove the top and eliminate extra weight, and use it to run the street and trail class at mud races.

UPDATE:
After sitting for over 2 years, I finally rounded up all the parts to put it back together. A few changes from my original plan, but had to work with what I got.

August 2007: Moved it into the garage and stripped out what wasn't already stripped out of it. Took it down to the body/frame. Took the Echobit shackle flip off my '80 GMC and put on the rear of the Blazer. Took off the top and some interior pieces.

And it sat this way on blocks untouched up until October 4th, 2007.

On October 4th at about 3pm, John and I started to put it back together for the Fall Moyie Mud Bog on the 6th. We pulled the rear 4.56 gears out of a Diesel parts truck... which ended up being a Gov-Lock... so pulled the rear gears out of the 82 1-ton 6-cylinder Utility bed truck. Bolted the TH350 tranny and 205 T-case together. Used a front Dana 60 with 4.56's out of the "Alaska Crew Cab", and the 14-bolt rear housing out of a 78 K20 parts truck. Got it rolling and moved it over to throw a 350 motor in it out of a '68 Chevy. By 5:30 the next morning working in dark wet conditions with limited hand tools only, it drove on the trailer in front wheel drive. Towed it to our campspot at the Moyie Mud Bog and finished putting in the rear gears and locker and driveline and other misc.

Finally got it 99% fully operational Friday and ran it on Saturday at the mud bog.

Photo By Wayne Storlie

Photo By Jenn- JC Photography

Blew a tire off the bead and brake line.

Back home

Current specs: 350 V8 with Camel Hump heads, edelbrock Performer RPM intake and Carb, unknown cam, headers, dual Flo-Pro 2.5" exhaust, TH350 tranny and NP205 T-case, Dana 60 front with 4.56 gears open, 14-bolt rear with 4.56 gears and Detroit Locker, 37x13x16 Boggers, 7" lift.

And since I don't have much money... here's all the parts rigs and donor rigs that have been bought/re-sold or parted out over the last 2 years that donated the parts to make the Blazer run again.

The 350 motor came out of this:

The 205 Transfer Case and adapter came out of this:

The TH350 tranny came out of this:

The Rear axle housing came out of this:

The Rear 4.56 ring and pinion and carrier came out of this:

The front axle came out of this:

The front bumper came off this:

The Radiator and tranny cooler came out of this:

The B&M Floor shifter came out of this 67 Chevy 2wd:

The Flo-Pro Exhaust came off this 82 K5:

Rear shackle flip came off my 80 GMC as well as the Detroit Locker, rear tailgate with checkered paint came off a 2wd shortbed truck, starter off a 78 Crew Cab, and there were probably a few other parts rigs involved too I havent mentioned yet.

As of right now, I have little or almost NO money into this thing. I'm hoping that it'll stay together running for at least a little while this time.

All of The Fleet: